As a company, Mainstage Ltd strives to continually improve the impact our manufacturing operations have on the environment. While we rely on the use of natural resources to manufacture our range of staging and seating systems, we are keenly focused on reducing our environmental footprint wherever possible.
Part of this process involves regular assessments of our activities to ensure we are doing everything we can to reduce the influence we have on land, air and water. We review our environmental practices yearly to remain in step with the latest guidance and developments in the field.
To improve our performance, we look to comply with and ideally exceed key UK environmental legislation requirements, such as the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Control of Pollution Act 1974. We also have great interest in and seek to educate ourselves on new environmental issues, especially those related to our core business activities.
To ensure we operate as sustainably as possible, we have implemented several initiatives in recent years as part of our wider environmental strategy. We always look to cut the amount of energy we use within our premises.
Our company is implementing Lean Manufacturing methods to ensure our processes are as efficient as possible. This enables us to limit waste while remaining highly productive to meet the expectations of all our customers.
In terms of materials, we purchase wood from sustainable sources and our aluminium from UK manufacturers, ideally as locally as possible. All the wood we use during manufacturing is accredited by the FSC or PEFC. We always try to manage raw materials to maximise yield and reduce wastage. This involves purchasing materials at the most economical and sustainable sizes. We aim to reduce off-cuts as much as possible and re-use spare materials for other projects.
As well as maximising our use of materials, we minimise waste going to landfill. Recycling plays a major role in our environmental endeavours. Our recycling policy extends to the recycling of plastics, paper, cardboard, and metals.
While we do visit customers in person when necessary, much of our work can be completed via the Internet. Our 3D drawings give clients an accurate representation of our bespoke staging systems, vastly decreasing the need for road travel. We limit the use of company vehicles where appropriate and use dedicated couriers for delivery, reducing our requirement to be on the road and further lowering our carbon footprint.
Being an environmentally-focused company, Mainstage Ltd is always seeking new ways to improve the sustainability of our manufacturing operations. We regularly review our progress to ensure we remain as eco-friendly as is feasibly possible.